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High drama, emotions as Sanjay Dutt surrenders before TADA court He is to complete 42-month sentence in...

High drama, emotions as Sanjay Dutt surrenders before TADA court

He is to complete 42-month sentence in 1993 Mumbai blasts case

He has already served 18 months of a five-year term

He was jailed for illegally procuring a rifle and pistol from bombers after Mumbai blasts

Mumbai (PTI): Emotional scenes and high drama marked the surrender of actor Sanjay Dutt before a special TADA court here on Thursday for completing remaining 42-month sentence in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case. Clad in crisp white kurta and blue jeans, 53-year-old Dutt was accompanied by his wife Manyata, sister Priya Dutt, brother-in-law Owen Roncon and director Mahesh Bhatt. All of them, except Bhatt, went to the court along with Dutt. The actor's vehicle, which pulled into the narrow lane of the city civil and sessions court in south Mumbai at around 2.30 pm, was surrounded by his supporters, reporters and camerapersons. Dutt's fans in the crowd shouted slogans supporting the actor even as mediapersons jostled to capture the actor's photo.

Director Mahesh Bhatt first emerged out of the car and with folded hands requested the media persons to move away so that Dutt could reach the court. After much persuasion, the way was cleared for Dutt. Once in court, Dutt was led by his lawyer Rizwan Merchant, who told special Judge G A Sanap that the actor was roughed up and pushed by several persons downstairs. Dutt was sporting a red 'tilak' and religious threads around his neck and looked shaken. After the actor bowed down before the judge he was asked to seat himself in the dock. Manyata, Priya and Owen followed the actor and sat with him on the bench. Since Wednesday night, Sanjay had been getting calls and visits from friends, colleagues and well wishers, the sources said. Prominent among them were actors Salman Khan, Fardeen Khan and director David Dhawan with whom he has always shared a special rapport. There were also Vashu Bhagnani, Rajkumar Hirani, Apoorva Lakhia, Raj Kundra, Bunty Walia, Bhushan Kumar and Sophie Choudry. The son of eminent actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt, Sanjay's life has been the subject of intense speculation, beginning with his battles with drug addiction, the early death of his mother and first wife and, of course, his involvement in the 1993 bombings that killed nearly 300 people.

Dutt likely to file curative plea in SC Dutt is said to be planning to file a curative petition before the Supreme Court, his lawyer said. "We are planning to file a curative petition in the apex court soon," Dutt's advocate Rizwan Merchant told special TADA Judge GA Sanap when the proceedings were on to take the 53-year-old actor into custody. Dutt had earlier filed a review petition in the apex court against its March 21 judgement upholding his conviction under the Arms Act and sentencing him to five years in jail. The apex court had, however, rejected the review petition and directed him to surrender by May 16.

What is curative petition?

After review petition, a convict is left with the option of filing a curative petition or a pardon petition. The concept of curative petition was evolved in 2002 by a SC judgement to cure any defect that may lead to gross miscarriage of justice in a final judgement/order of the Supreme Court, after dismissal of a review petition. While a review petition has to be filed within 30 days of the judgement, there is no time limit for filing a curative petition. Dutt's remaining options also include a leniency plea and remissions (like for good behaviour) which can reduce his jail term.

Allowed to have home-cooked food The Mumbai court where he surrendered has allowed the actor to get home-made food delivered to him and has agreed to his appeal to be provided with a thin mattress and pillow and medicines for a month. After that, the jail authoritieswill decide whether these allowances will be continued. But the court rejected Dutt's request to be allowed to smoke electronic cigarettes in prison. As the court began the surrender proceedings, Manyata and Dutt held hands and were seen consoling each other. Merchant argued that the actor should be allowed basic facilities in jail. "We are not asking for any luxury items. He just wants basic amenities like a thin mattress, a fan, medicines for arterial stenosis and high cholesterol and permission to move around the jail," the lawyer said. Merchant said Dutt was a chain-smoker and sought leave to use electronic cigarette for de-addiction.

1993 Mumbai blasts backgrounder As many as 257 people were killed and 713 injured in the serial blasts that rocked 12 locations in Mumbai on March 12, 1993. Property worth Rs 30 crore was damaged in the terror strike. Four more TADA convicts surrender Mumbai (PTI): Besides actor Sanjay Dutt , four other convicts in the 1993 bomb blast case on Thursday surrendered before a designated TADA court which took them into custody to serve their remaining sentence. A The convicts Essa Memon , Kersi Adjania, Yusuf Nulwala and Altaf Sayyed Shaikh surrendered as the Supreme Court had rejected their appeals against conviction. Judge GA Sanap allowed Memon, Adjania and Nulwala to take medicines in jail. A Two other convicts, Zebunisa Kazi and Sharif (Dada) Parkar, are likely to surrender on Friday. A Essa is the brother of prime absconding accused Tiger Memon. He is suffering from brain tumour and had earlier refused to get operated. TADA court had sentenced him to life imprisonment and the apex court had confirmed the punishment awarded to him. Eighty-year-old Kersi, who had destroyed the AK-56 rifle possessed by Sanjay Dutt, in his workshop, was awarded one- year jail term. He has already spent three to four months in jail.